Substrates to be processed are transferred to different chambers and areas using carriers that enable the transfer of multiple substrates at a time. One such carrier used in aluminum nitride deposition for light emitting diode (LED) applications, in which substrates between 2-6 inches are used, is a 300 mm silicon wafer carrier. The silicon wafer carrier is formed of single crystal silicon that is machined with pockets to carry the substrates. However, silicon wafer carriers tend to break during processing, cleaning, and/or refurbishment. Alternatively, silicon carbide (SiC) wafer carriers may be used since a SiC wafer is about 40% more dense than a silicon wafer. However, because of the increased density, SiC wafers are heavier and can, therefore, damage a substrate support on which they are placed. SiC wafer carriers can also break due to stresses in the carrier resulting from the pocket formation.
Accordingly, the inventors have provided embodiments of improved substrate carriers as disclosed herein.